Tubular knit fabric and process of making the same



20, 1945- P. L. THURSTON ET AL ,369, 8

TUBULAR KNIT FABRIC AND PROCESS OF MAKING THE SAME l8 Shegts-Sheet 1Original Filed Jan. 14,1941

INVENTORS ATTORNEY 1945- P. L. I'HURSTON ET'AL 2,369,928

TUBULAR KNIT FABRIC AND PRbCESS OF MAKING THE SAME Original Filed Jan.14, 1941 18 Sheets-Sheet 2 A TTORNEY Feb. 20, 1945. P. L. THURSTON ETAL2,369,928

TUBULAR KNIT FABRIC AND PROCESS OF MAKING THE SAME Original Filed Jan.14, 1'941 18 Sheets-Sheet 5 A TTORNEY Feb. 20, 1945. P. L. THURSTON ETAL 2,369,928

TUBULAR KNIT FABRIC AND PROCESS OF MAKING THE SAME Original Filed Jan.14. 1941 18 Sheets-Sheet 4 A TTORNE;

Feb. 20, 1945. THURSTQN ET AL 2,369,928

TUBULAR KNIT FABRIC AND PROCESS OF MAKING THE SAME Original Filed Jan.14, 1941 18 Sheets-Sheet 5 S M M m N A TTORNEY 5' P. L. THURSTON ETAL 9,

TUBULAR KNIT FABRIC AND PROCESS OF MAKING THE SAME Original Filed Jan.14. 1941 18 Sheets-Sheet 6 ATTORNEY IINVEN TOR5 w L l 1 ff 7 Mb @xi XFeb. 20, 1945. P. 1.. THURSTON ETAL 2,369,928

TUBULAR KNIT FABRIC AND PROCESS OF MAKING THE SAME Original Filed Jan.14, 1'941 18 Sheets-Sheet 7 bINl ENTORS gw v ATTORNEY Feb. 20, 1945. P.L. THURSTON ET AL 2,369,928

TUBULAR KNIT FABRIC AND PROCESS OF MAKING THE SAME Original Filed Jan.14. 1941 1a Shee'ts-Sheet s v M 4% i-' l s 45* y 4? 857A? NW1 $53M TTI92 84 F it l 9.; 46 :2 81 44 11 1 1H 1H 1 W 1 W H H 1 48 74 gz I r\ f Ill" ,5 6

\ mm i g t V ATTORNEY- Feb. 20, 1945. P. L. TQHURSTON Em 2,369,928

TUBULAR KNIT FABRIC AND PROCESS OF MAKING THE SAME Original Filed Jan.14, 1941 18 Sheets-Sheet 9 i l I ii I III 34*! JAWL tzF urn-D w w I l 55a W 44 M 1% 11M111 374/, I l M L: r u 24 TJ I BFEQQK) I um .gl i

A TTORNE Y Feb. 20, 1945. P. L. THURS-TON ET'AL 2,369,928

TUBULAR KNIT FABRIC AND PROCESS OF MAKING THE SAME 12s Sheets-Sheet 10Original Filed Jan. 14, 1941 ATTORNEY Feb. 20, 1945. P. L. TIHURSTONETAL 1 2,369,928

TUBULAR KNIT FABRIC AND PROCESS OF MAKING THE SAME Original Filed Jan.14, I941 18 Sheets-Sheet 11 g v M Ma.

' ATTORNEY F 20,1 5-. P. THURSTQN mp 2,3 9,

TUBULAR KNIT FABRIC AND PROCESS OF MAKING THE SAME Original Filed Jan.14, 1941 i s hiei s'fifiirz INVEN TORS A TTORNEY Feb. 20, 1945. P. L.THURSTON ETAL 9 3 TUBULAR KNIT FABRIC AND PROCESS OF MAKING THE SAME 1Original Filed Jan. 14, 1941 18 Sheets-Sheet 13 r )1 1 )1 P m 1 C'J Vik/ 1. y /T 4% M M M fl T E CIQVWWVWVWVWVWVT CJIV'WVWWVMVVVT 1k)?ZVWVQTVRTVT TVT ,E

U QVWVVK/TZVTTVWV 7V? 0,0.

ZQVV S YK/WVT V Feb. 20, 1945. P. THURSTON ETAL 2,369,928

TUBULAR KNIT FABRIC AND PROCESS OF MAKING THE SAME 18 Sheets-Sheet 14Original Filed Jan. 14. 1941 WNVENTORS A TORNEY Feb. 20, 1945. P.THURSTON ET AL 2,369,928

TUBULAR KNIT FABRIC AND PROCESS OF MAKING THE SAME Original Filed Jan.14, I941 18 Sheets-Sheet l5 Feb. 20, 1945. P. L. THURSTON ETAL 2,369,923

TUBUIFAR KNIT FABRIC AND PROCESS/(3F MAKING THE SAME Original Filed Jan.l4, 1941 18 Sheets-Sheet 16 iiilm i VENTORS N I" W ATTORNEY Feb. 20,1945. P. L. THURSTON ET AL 2,359,923

TUBULAR KNIT FABRIC AND PROCESS OF MAKING THE SAME Original Filed Jan.14, 194l 18 Shegts-Sheet 17 uvvglvrozas &'

. Feb. 20, 1945. P. THURSTON ETAL 2,369,928

TUB ULAR KNIT FABRIC AND PROCESS OF MAKING THE SAME Original Filed Jan.14, 1941 "18 Sheets-Sheet 18 N DUDUDUDPTM Patented Feb. 20, 1945 UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE TUBULAR FABRIC AND PROCESS MAKING THE SAME Paul L.Thurston, Martinsburg. W. Va., and

David Nagley, Philadelphia, Pa., asslgnors to Interwoven StockingCompany, New Brunswick, N. J., a corporation of New Jersey -)riginalapplication January 14, 1941, Serial No. 374,334, now Patent No.2,316,822, dated April 2031943. Divided and this application December 3,1941, Serial No. 421,420

34 Claims. (Cl. 66-172) Our invention consists in the novel featureshereinafter described, reference being had to the accompanying drawingswhich illustrate embodiments of the same, selected by us for purposes ofillustration, and the said invention is fully disclosed in the followingdescription and claims.

Our invention relates to the production of multi-feed fabric on circularknitting machines having coaxial, superposed needle cylinders. Inproducing such fabric a plurality of separate threads are fed-to theneedles of the machine inder needles, so that,the latter will not takethe second thread. Thus, certain needles of the machine take boththreads one after the other to and incorporated in the fabric either byknitting all 'of them or by knitting one and incorporating the other, orothers in an un-knitted manner so as to be united to the fabric byportions of the knitted thread. While the separate threads used may, ifdesired, all be alike, they are preferably of different characteristics.'For example, one

may be a relatively -inelastic fabric thread, while the other is anelastic thread. Alternatively, thev produce a portion in which coursesof one thread alternate with courses of the other, giving a singlecourse horizontal stripe effect, while other needles take one threadonly and produce a portion in which successive courses are of the samethread, the second thread being floated behind such portions. Wherethreads of different color are used, the latter needles will produce asolid color pattern contrasting sharply with the portions of the fabricin which stitches of both threads appear.

The stitches in the solid color portions of the fabric are twice thelengthof the other stitches, giving a further distinction in appearance.Moreover, the stitches of the solid color portion face outwardly, and byforming Q the surrounding portion of the fabric of inthreads may be ofdifferent color or of different the fabric, blend together to give theappearance of a mixed color. Embroidery wrap is extremely difl'icultwith a two cylinder machine owing to the position of one cylinder abovethe other with only a narrow space between the upper and lower cylinderneedles. Reverse plating has been used to considerable extent, but isnot entirely satisfactory as there are too many seconds owing to thefailure of the yarns to reverse properly. Moreover, reverse plating willnot produce sharply contrasting solid color patterns, owing to the factthat the suppressed yam shows through the face yarn. The presentinvention overcomes these difficulties and produces new fabricstructures providing attractive solid color designs not heretoforeobtainable. In accordance with the invention certain needles arepositioned in the upper cylinder with the remaining needles in the lowercylinder, and one thread is fed to needles in both cylinders, while asecond thread is fed so as to be received. by the upper cylinder needlesand miss at least certain of the lower cylwardly facing stitches, thereis obtained an embossed effect in which the solid color design standsout in' relief from the mixed color back ground. The embossed effect isheightened by the floats of the second thread which extend across behindthe raised portion and prevent it from flattening out. By floating thesecond thread across groups of successive stitches of the first thread adesign extending across a plurality of successive wales is produced. Inspeaking of successive stitches the term successive" is understood tomean that the stitches are contiguous without other stitchesintervening. The term successive" is used in the same sense when appliedto wales, courses, etc.

The second thread may be knit on, the upper cylinder needles only, orthey may be knit on the upper cylinder needles and certain of the lowercylinder needles being floated across selected ones of .the needles inthe lower cylinder. The upper and lower cylinder needles may be retainedin their respective cylinders throughout the knitting of a section offabric, thus producing a rib knit fabric in which each wale is formed ofthe same typeof stitches throughout, certain wales being formed ofinwardly facing stitches with stitches of one thread alternating withthose of another, and other wales being formed of outwardly facingstitchescf approximately twice the length of said inwardly facingstitches and all formed of the same. thread with or without additionalwales of outwardly facing stitches formed alternately of difl'erentthreads. Alternatively, selected needles may be transferred back andforth from one cylinder to .the other during the knitting of the fabricto produce what is known as Links-Links fabric in which individual walesare formed in part of in- --wardly facing stitches and in part ofoutwardly in predetermined sequence.

Instead of being different colors, the threads may differ in otherrespects such as size, material, lustre, etc. Alternatively, the threadsmay be alike, the structure of fabric being depended upon to produce thedesign. Still other effects can be obtained by using a fabric thread ofone color and an elastic thread of another color, the elastic threadserving both to increase the elasticity of the fabric and to produce adesign The elastic thread may, if desired, be incorporated in the fabricin an unknitted manner. In producing articles of hosiery in accordancewith the invention, a plurality of fabric threads may be used in the legportion to produce a design fabric, while fabric thread and elasticthread may be used in the top portion to provide a self-supporting top.

In incorporating elastic thread in knitted fabrics, the inelastic orfabric thread may be fed to all of the needles, while the elastic threadis preferably fed to selected needles only. In many instances it isdesirable to have diiferent needle selections in incorporating elasticthread in different parts of an article. For example, in producingself-supporting socks, it is preferable to feed the elastic thread so asto become interlaced in front of alternate needles and behindintervening needles to produce an anti-ravel structure, and thereafterunite the elastic thread to the fabric at more widely spaced points, forexample, at every fourth'wale in the balance of the selfsupporting topportion of the sock. To obtain the required needle selections, .it hasbeen proposed to provide special selecting cams cooperating with buttsof different lengths provided on the sliders which actuate the needles.As difierent butt lengths are required in the normal operation of anopposed cylinder machine, the

number of additional selections possible is strictly limited. Theoperation of the machine is further complicated by the fact thatsuccessive rounds of elastic thread are preferably spaced by one or morecourses of fabric thread without elastic, thereby necessitating themovement of the selecting cams into and out of operative position. Ithas been found that to avoid breakage of the slider butts by the cams,it is necessary toleave a gap in the circular series of selecting buttsin order that the cams may be moved into operative position when the gapis opposite the cam. This gap interferes with the production of ananti-ravel edge, since the corresponding gap in the anti-ravel structurepermits the fabric to ravel and in the balance of the fabric the gapresults in the production of an undesirably long float of elastic threadat the point where the gap occurs.

It is an object of the present invention to overcome the difficultiesencountered in the prior art. Instead of feeding the elastic thread toselected needles in the lower cylinder, it is fed to all of the needlesin the upper cylinder, desired ones of the needles being transferred tothe upper cylinder to receive the elastic thread. For example, informing an anti-ravel edge where a 1 x 1 needle selection is desired,every alternate needle is transferred to the upper cylinder where itwill receive the elastic thread, while the intervening needles are inthe lower cylinder where they will not receive the elastic. As theelastic thread will extend in a straight line from one upper cylinderneedle to the next, it will be floated behind the lower cylinder needleswhen the latter are raised to takethe fabric thread, and will thereby beinterlaced. Where the elastic thread is to be united to the fabric atmore widely spaced points, for example, at every fourth wale,correspondingly spaced needles are transferred to the upper cylinder totake the elastic thread while the remaining needles are in the lowercylinder. The desired selection is obtained merely by transferring theselected needles to the upper cylinder. During the knitting ofintervening courses which are not to contain elastic thread, all of theneedles are transferred to the lower cylinder where they will receivethe fabric thread only, and will not receive the elastic. It is henceunnecessary to withdraw the elastic feed finger or any selecting cam asthe incorporation of elastic thread in the fabric is automaticallyinterrupted when the needles are transferred to the lower cylinder. Thismethod'of operation produces a novel fabric structure in which there arespaced courses of rib knitting, i. e., courses composed of inwardlyfacing stitches and outwardly facing stitches alternately disposedsingly or in groups around the fabric, the rib knit courses beingseparated by intervening courses of plain knitting composed of outwardlyfacing stitches only and the elastic thread being incorporated in thefabric at the rib knit courses.

In incorporating elastic thread in knitted fabric, difficulties havebeen heretofore encountered in properly regulating the amount of elasticthread introduced into each course. If too much elastic thread isintroduced, it puckers up when the fabric contracts upon coming oifofthe machine, and gives an untidy appearance, while if not enough elasticthread is introduced, it restricts the stretching of the fabric and maybe broken when the fabric is distended. Because of the extremeliveliness of elastic thread, it is diflicult to control the amount fedto the needles to introduce the same amount of elastic thread into eachof the elastic containing courses. In accordance with the presentinvention, this difficulty is overcome by causing the upper cylinderneedles which take the elastic thread to form loops thereof to draw a.measured amount of said elastic thread from the thread feed.

To transfer selected needles from one cylinder to the other, theknitting machine for carrying out the invention is provided withselectors associated with the needles and having selector butts disposedat different levels. A plurality of selector levers arranged atcorresponding levels are movable into operative position to act on theselector butts of the selectors to effect transfer of the associatedneedles from one cylinder to the other. vention is the provision ofmeans for independently controlling separate sets of selector levers tomaintain one set of levers inoperative while levers of another set aremoved into and out of operative position through successive cycles ofoperation. This makes it possible to use one set composed of one or moreselector levers to trans- A novel feature of the present in-

